- The appearance of three witches: In the opening scene of the play, Macbeth and Banquo encounter three witches who make a series of prophecies, including that Macbeth will become king. This sets in motion the tragic chain of events that follows.
- The ghost of Banquo: After Macbeth has Banquo killed, the ghost of Banquo appears to him at a banquet. This terrifies Macbeth and deepens his descent into madness and paranoia.